Warwick charity store celebrates 10-year milestone

Your local air ambulance’s charity store was commended by the Mayor of Warwick who joined staff and volunteers in celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

After opening its doors on 8 August 2012, the boutique store – which comprises both new and preloved items – has generated over £500k profit for the charity over the decade, funding over 250 lifesaving missions.

“It is fantastic to be celebrating our 10^th anniversary with our wonderful supporters in the heart of Warwick,” said the charity’s Retail Area Manager, Jayne Botfield.

“The success of our store is vital as the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) receives no government funding and relies solely on donations from the public and retail income to keep saving lives,” she added.

The Market Place store began its celebrations with a store party with plenty of bargains on offer ranging from clothing, accessories, bric-a-brac, books, DVDs and plenty more.

Not only did loyal supporters join in the celebrations, but the charity store was visited by the local Mayor Cllr Parminder Singh Birdi, who presented the store’s manager Claire Murray with a commendation, and presented the dedicated store volunteers with further certificates for their vital roles in the impressive achievement.

“The anniversary is a great milestone for the charity, all the staff and incredible volunteers in-store make a huge difference in keeping the charity going,” expressed Claire.

“Our store is filled with fabulous donations and things to buy, and I really do encourage people to visit us in our celebratory week,” she continued.

Over the decade, the store has received over 62,000 bags of donated goods but still needs the continued support of the local community for further donations of quality pre-loved clothing and homeware products, to keep the store generating vital income.

“On behalf of the charity, I want to thank the local Warwickshire community for the continued support over the last ten years, and I’d like to thank all our volunteers, who without, this wouldn’t have been possible,” added Claire.

Thanks to retail funding, the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance crews are available 24/7, 365 days a year, delivering frontline critical care to those who need it most, and will be celebrating its 15^th anniversary in service next year.